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Hatcher’s downfall began against Wofford

It’s tough to believe, but it was only two years ago against Wofford when the fall from grace started for Georgia Southern coach Chris Hatcher.

Remember Hatcher’s first season in 2007. He reinstated Jayson Foster at quarterback and ran a veer offense. Foster was a perfect fit and earned Walter Payton honors after rushing for 1,844 yards and directing the Eagles to a 7-4 season.

Hatcher received a lot of accolades for being flexible that season. A year earlier, Coach Brian VanGorder tried to change the offense and posted a 3-8 record.

Hatcher wasn’t married to a running attack. It certainly wasn’t the offense he earned acclaim for at Valdosta State, but it was the best offense for the personnel he inherited at Georgia Southern.

The next year Hatcher wasn’t as flexible and that was first apparent against Wofford.

The Eagles rallied from a 17-point deficit against the Terriers that night and tied the game on Adrian Mora’s field goal with six seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Wofford struggled in its first overtime and needed a fourth-down conversion on a diving reception to keep its drive alive before scoring a touchdown.

Southern needed one play to match the touchdown. The Eagles had the momentum, but Hatcher tried to end the game by going for a two-point conversion.

GSU had to burn a timeout because it didn’t have the right players on the field. Without the advantage of surprise, the Eagles stayed with the two-point conversion plan.

To make matters worse, Southern’s more mobile quarterback Antonio Henton remained on the sidelines.

A heavily pressure Lee Chapple never had a chance and GSU lost 38-37.

It was Southern’s third loss of the year. The Eagles went 6-5 that year, nearly losing to Western Carolina (trailed 31-3 in fourth quarter) and The Citadel (a three-overtime win).

The next year, a rigid Hatcher fully installed his spread passing attack, despite having no one with speed to stretch the field. It led to a 5-6 record – GSU’s third losing season since restarting football. The Eagles averaged 18.6 points – the team’s fewest points in 17 years.

There were other factors that led to Hatcher’s firing after just three years. But at least on the field, it seemed like the honeymoon ended against Wofford.